Rail-joint



(No Model.) 2 sneets-sheet 2.

W. H. CONN'EL'L.

RAIL JOINT. V

No. 439,116. Patented Oct. 28, 1890..

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIALWI H. CONNELL, OF XVILMINGTON, DELAYVARE.

RAI L-JolNT.

SPECIFICATION formng part of Letters Patent No. 439,116, dated October 28, 1890.

Application filed February 3, 1890. Serial No. 389,039. (No model.)

' had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to the construction of rail-joints or devices for uniting and supporting the abutting ends of railWay-rails.

The object of my invention is to provide a truss or support for the ends of the rails Which Will effectually prevent the jar and shock which occurs at the joint and Which the Ordinary rail-splices or fish-plates are not strong enough to resist, especially under the modern practice of increasing both the weight of engines and of loaded cars.

My invention consists of a rail-joint and of a novel rail-splice especially devised for use with my joint.

The nature of the invention will be best understood as described in connection with the drawings, in which it is illustrated, and the novel features I desire to protect by Letters Patent are hereinafter set forth in the claims, reference being now had to the drawings, in which- Figures 1, 3, 5, and 7 are side elevations of a rail-joint constructed in accordan'ce With my invention, but each showing a dilferent modification of my improved splice. Figs. 2, 4, 6, and 8 are respectively end elevations of the joints shown in the side elevations. Fig. 9 is a section through the splice of Fig. 7, taken on the line a; x; and Fig. 10 is a plan view of the splice-bar shown in Fig. 5.

A A are the rails abutting at a.

B B are the ties.

C are the rail splice-bars or fish-plates; D, bolts by which the splices are secured to the rails on each side in the usual way.

E E are tie-rods; e e, nuts screwing on the ends of said rods.

F is a strut, here shown as made up of a short rail-section.

On or near each end of the splice-bars I form a projecting lug, in which a perforation is formed to permit the insertion of the ends of the tie-rods E. This lug may be formed in many ways. Thus in Figs. 1 and 2 it is shown at c c as formed by bending the spliceplate into oblique unflattened folds at the end having in section a U shape and a space in the caVit-y of the U, as shown at o' c', Fig. 2, for the passage of the ends of rod E.

In Figs. 3 and 4 the lug is formed, as shown at 02 02, by simply'bending out the ends of the plate O.

In Figs. 5, 6, and 10 the lug is formed, as shown at C3, in the form of a cone-like projection from the body of the splice-bar, a hole, as 04, being of course formed in the lug. In this case the lugs are shown as formed inside of the ends of the splice-bar portions, of which 05 05 extend beyond them, and are provided with bolt-holes for theV reception of bolts D. I much prefer this last-mentioned feature of construction, as the bolts at the extreme ends of the splice act to hold its ends in place and prevent the strain on the tie-rods from bending the ends of the plates outwardly. I would also say here that the. conical lug, as shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 10, is preferred by me to the other lnodifications as being the strongest and best adapted for the strains to which it is exposed. It is easily formed by upsetting the splice-bar in suitably-formed dies.

In Figs. 7, 8, and 9 the lug is formed by folding or buckling up a suitably-formed bar, so as to form a lug, such as c, and an exten sion C5 beyond it, as in the case last not-ed.

As .shown in all the modifications, the Outer faces of the lugs should be in oblique converging planes so placed as to be at right angles tothe ends of rod E. The nuts eby this construction rest on plain surfaces, and in screwing them up they pull in a straight line upon the end of the tie-rod.

The mode of adjustment and of operation of my joint is clearly shown in the drawings. The splice-bars C are first secured to the rails by bolts D, the tie-rods E being preferably inserted in the lugs of the splice beforehand. Then the strut F is stepped beneath the V joint and above the flattened central portion of the ties E, upon Which it rests. Then the nuts e are screwed up, forcing the strut F up against the bottom of the joint between the rails, and the ends of the rails are thus jointly supported by means of a tie of great strength and compactness. The joint is one which converts all the strainsto which it is sub- IOO jected to tension strains, Which are taken up by the tie-rods, and compression strains, Which are taken up by the splice-bars, and this conversion of the strains precludes the possibility of unsynchronous or unequal yielding in the jointed ends of the rails and insures practically as great stiifness at the joints as at other parts of the track.

Having 110W described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 'is- 1. As a new article of manufacture, a railsplice having lugs extending out therefrom at or near its ends and perforated, respectively,

With doWnWardly-converging holes to receive V the ends of the tie-rod, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. As a' new article of manufacture, a railsplice having perforated lugs extending out therefrom at or near its ends, said lugs having oblique converging upper faces, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. As a neW article of manufacture, a railsplice having perforated outWardly-extending',` lugs formed inside of its ends, bolt-holes formed between said lugs, and a bolt-hole at each end outside of said lugs, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a railsplice having conical outWardly-extending perforated lugs C3 formed on them, bolt-holes inside said lugs, and a bolt-hole at each end outside said lugs.

5. A rail-joint consisting of tWo splices C, having outWardly-extending perforated lugs and adapted to be secured on each side of a a rail-joint by bolts passing through the rails,

in combination With a strut F, secured beneath the joint, and tie-rods. E E, passing` under said strut and secured at each end: to the lugs of therail-splices, substantially asshown and described.V

WM. H. CONNELL. W'itnesses:

FRANCIS T. CHAMBERS, H. W. HARE PoWEL. 

